NYC stabbings show public safety failures

The fatal serial stabbing of three people on a crisp and sunny Monday morning in Manhattan offers a prime illustration of how New York government bungles its obligation to protect the public from the genuinely dangerous among us.

From what was quickly learned of the alleged killer, 51-year-old Ramon Rivera, this three-part bloodbath belongs to a now-chronic urban scourge in which deranged individuals commit random violent crimes against strangers. This wasn’t political terrorism, or a jealous love triangle, or a gang hit, or a bad drug deal. It was arbitrary madness — again — like subway shovings and street assaults that have drawn wide attention.

One address attributed to Rivera, the defendant, is the Bellevue Men’s Shelter. His record shows a long string of arrests and a long history of mental health issues. He should not have been out on the street. He could have been wearing a neon sign advertising his status as a menace to others.

Just over the past year, Rivera was reportedly arrested eight times, repeatedly bashing windows and burglarizing businesses in the city and region. In August, he pleaded guilty to the burglaries and was sentenced to a year in jail, and later, to attacking a correction officer at Bellevue in May. He was released after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but then was rearrested on a previous theft. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office asked for bail pending his return but Rivera incredibly was released without bail, according to news accounts.

One month later, Rivera went on a dastardly urban rampage. In a two-and-a-half-hour period, he allegedly killed Angel Lata Landi, 36, of Peekskill, on W. 19th Street; 67-year-old Chang Wang, who was fishing in the East River; and Wilma Augustin, 36, at E. 42nd Street and First Avenue. NYPD officer Robert Garvey, a Long Islander, arrested him near E. 46th Street after witnesses to his last attack, including a cabdriver, cried out and 911 calls came in.

Now Rivera faces three counts of first-degree murder.

Mayor Eric Adams was on target when he said the mental health and justice systems continue to “fail New Yorkers.” Now state lawmakers, the court system, prosecutors, and mental health professionals must stop defensive finger-pointing and focus for real on remanding and attending to individuals whom common sense would call a public threat.

It’s part of an increasingly grim mix of homelessness and transgressive behavior. Even liberal Berkeley, California is carefully planning crackdowns on drug-infested homeless encampments. Next year, New York City holds elections for mayor and Manhattan district attorney. Time is up on waiting for root-cause solutions to heal disorder.

On Tuesday, Adams cited in a news conference his effort since 2022 to have police forcibly bring people with mental health issues to hospitals. Perhaps this has prevented other tragedies. More broadly, a better balance of personal freedom and public order must be found in places that need it.